Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (76 page)

T
REATMENT

All the endocrine disorders are very deep and serious problems and much more difficult to manage than many of those we are discussing in this section. Improved nutrition can be very helpful, but in my practice I have usually included homeopathic treatment as well. The situation is complex, and changes during treatment are difficult to interpret. It needs individualized treatment by an experienced veterinarian.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism
(over-function) is the bane of cats. It is the opposite of what happens with dogs (as explained above). Here the thyroid gland
overproduces
hormone. Again, there is considerable evidence that it is caused by the immune system attacking the
gland (and therefore part of a larger problem) but, in the case of cats, it causes the gland to become too active instead of less so, as in dogs. It is encountered in mature cats, more frequently as they get older. When I first was in practice (1965 on) we did not see this disease. Now it is extremely common, so something is responsible for this dramatic increase in incidence, and I suspect frequent vaccinations to be an important factor. When I started practice, cats were vaccinated for one disease (Panleukopenia) and given one or two injections when they were young. That is all they received in their lifetime. Now they are given multiple vaccinations and repeatedly (yearly). Since, in this condition, the immune system becomes disturbed in such a way as to attack the thyroid glands it seems likely that vaccines, which directly stimulate the immune system, could be the trigger.

Because of the excessive hormone released, we get the opposite signs seen in dogs, so rather than becoming overweight cats become thin, wasting away gradually in spite of a good, or even excessive, appetite. Some cats, however, lose their appetite and stop eating. Often they will have larger formed stools, yet some will have diarrhea. These contradictions are confusing but it is typical of these complicated endocrine disorders that there can be a variety of manifestations.

The most common signs are excessive appetite, hyperactivity, fast and more forceful heart rate (sometimes visible at the chest), excessive thirst (with subsequent increased urine output), voluminous stools or diarrhea, panting, and fever.

It is not unusual for the thyroid gland to swell up or develop bumps on it. Some veterinarians will conclude that these are malignant tumors, but they are almost never so, rather just from the overactivity of the gland.

P
REVENTION

Avoid excessive vaccinations (see “Vaccinations”), provide wholesome foods, and reduce toxic exposure (cats are very sensitive to chemicals).

T
REATMENT

The conventional treatment plan is to basically eliminate the thyroid function. This is done in one of three ways: use of a drug to blocks thyroid activity; use of (injectable) radioactive iodine to destroy the thyroid tissues; surgical removal of the thyroids. While these measures will eliminate symptoms, there can be serious side effects and has the further disadvantage that it in no way cures the underlying problem. The thyroid is acting the way it is because the immune system is not right. Removing the thyroid does not address that and often there are other symptoms, part of the disease, that continue on after the conventional treatment.

I have treated these cases with considerable success using nutrition and homeopathy alone. Though it can take many months to restore health it is possible to do so with the added advantage that the overall health is
much better than before. I always advise my clients to try this approach first. Once the thyroid glands have been destroyed or removed, you can’t go back and expect to restore their function with other methods.

Successful treatment of this complex condition requires the skill of an experienced homeopathic veterinarian. (See what is written above for treatment of dogs.)

TICKS

See “Skin Parasites.”

TOXOPLASMOSIS

This disease deserves to be discussed in some detail, not so much because of its importance to cats (which usually recover from it without treatment, very often without any symptoms), but because of its importance to unborn children. If a woman is infected for the first time during pregnancy, the fetus may be born prematurely, born with serious damage to the brain, eyes, or other parts of the body, or stillborn. Such problems are estimated to occur in 2 to 6 out of every 1,000 births in the United States.

Before we consider this disease further, first let’s put things in perspective. The toxoplasma protozoa infest almost all species of mammals and birds in the world. Infection ranges from 20 to 80 percent of all domestic animals, depending on geographical area. In the United States, about 50 percent of the human population is also infected. But, despite the widespread occurrence of this little parasite, few infected individuals actually get sick from it. People who do get clinically ill are those whose immune systems have been suppressed as a response to drugs used with organ grafts or by cancer chemotherapy or x-ray therapy. People who have an immuno-suppressive disease like AIDS may also become clinically ill with toxoplasmosis.

Cats are unique in that they are natural hosts for the parasite—toxoplasmosis grows better in cats than in any other animal. Those who do show symptoms will have mucus-or blood-tinged diarrhea, fever, hepatitis (liver inflammation), or pneumonia (difficult breathing). They usually get over it on their own, developing a strong immunity that protects against further infection.

Commonly, both cat and human can acquire the parasite and have no symptoms whatsoever. Here is where the danger lies: About one to three weeks after infection, the cat will often start passing oocysts, egg-like structures that can infect other individuals after a day or so of further development in the warm feces or soil. The cat passes these oocysts until it develops immunity—in about two weeks. (If its immune system is depressed with cortisone-like drugs, however, the process can start up again.) These eggs can then be picked up by a pregnant woman who has not already had a chance to develop her own immunity. Thus, the disease spreads to the fetus, where it can cause the serious problems already mentioned.

Here are the ways this organism can infect pregnant women (and other people):

• A bit of cat feces is accidentally in gested during the two weeks of oocyst shedding.
  
• By some mischance, soil used as a bath room by an infected cat within the pre vious year is consumed.
  
• Infected raw or undercooked meat is prepared or eaten. This is actually the most common route of entry for both people and cats. And though you may deny your cat raw meat as a protective measure, remember that freshly caught mice and birds ain’t cooked!
  

If you think about it, the possibilities for the spreading of the disease are pretty great. For instance, while changing a litter box, digging in the garden, or cleaning a sandbox, you might wipe your mouth. After doing one of these tasks, you might eat something before you’ve washed your hands. Does your cat walk from the litter box to your kitchen counter, table, or your pillow? Do you fix salad on the same board used to trim raw meat? You can see why such a large proportion of the population is infected.

This information is not meant to scare you. If you are among the 25 to 45 percent of women in the United States aged 20 to 39 who are already exposed and therefore immune to problems from this organism, you needn’t worry about it at all; you won’t pass it on to your unborn child even if you are exposed again while you are pregnant. Your doctor can perform a serum test to find out if you’re in this group. Your cat can also be tested to see if it has developed an immunity from previous infection. If so, he won’t pass oocysts in his stool any more, and the danger to you is much less.

If neither you nor your mate has developed an immunity by the time you conceive, take special precautions for the next nine months. Don’t feed your cat raw meat. If you eat meat yourself, be careful to prepare it separately from foods to be eaten raw, like salads. Wash your hands well after meat preparation, cat-petting, gardening, and the like.

Unless you know that your cat is already immune, use gloves when you clean the litter box and wash up afterward. Better yet, have someone else clean the litter box. Dispose of the contents in a sealed container (not on the ground). If you want to disinfect the pan, rinse it with boiling water. Also control flies and cockroaches, because they can carry oocysts from the cat’s feces onto food.

If you wanted to keep your cat from getting toxoplasmosis in the first place (assuming he hasn’t already had it), you would have to make some serious compromises. Raw meat, for example, is nutritionally superior to cooked, but to prevent toxoplasmosis, you’d always have to cook it. You also would have to keep your cat from hunting and keep him away from any soil possibly contaminated by other cats. Obviously, the only way you can manage these restrictions is by keeping him inside all the time, which is not
such a healthy solution. The choice is yours, of course, but with reasonable precautions you will have a much better idea what risks you really face.

If your cat is diagnosed with this problem, in addition to what your veterinarian prescribes, you can use the advice given here. Go to the section of this Quick Reference guide that discusses the symptoms you see (for example, diarrhea), and follow those instructions.

UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS (“COLDS”)

The upper respiratory tract, which includes the nose, throat, larynx (voice box), and trachea (windpipe), is one of the favorite highways for germs traveling inside the body. Many microorganisms and viruses dry out and masquerade as dust. Others are embedded in dried secretions and scabs, which break into small particles and get stirred up into inhaled air.

In animals, these cold-like illnesses often start and remain in the upper respiratory tract, causing such symptoms as a runny nose or eyes, sneezing, a sore throat, coughing, and, sometimes, inflammation of the mouth. These infections resemble the human cold in many ways but have some unique aspects for pets. The three most common upper respiratory diseases found in companion animals are canine infectious tracheobronchitis (often called kennel cough), feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR—a viral attack on the cat’s eyes and upper respiratory tract), and feline calici virus (similar to FVR, but generally less involved with the eyes and nose). (Distemper is covered as a separate entry in this Quick Reference guide.)

Canine Infectious Tracheobronchitis

Also known as kennel cough or canine respiratory disease complex, canine infectious tracheobronchitis is thought to be caused by a variety of viruses, sometimes complicated by bacterial infection as well. It’s common where many stressed dogs, especially young ones, are in close contact. It crops up in boarding kennels, animal shelters, grooming establishments, veterinary hospitals, dog shows, and pet shops.

Symptoms, which usually appear about eight to ten days after exposure, are typically a dry, hacking, awful-sounding cough that ends with gagging or retching, and perhaps a clear, watery discharge from the eyes and nose or a partial loss of appetite. Though it sounds awful, it’s not a serious condition. A minimal number of dogs may have complications because of their weak immune systems.

T
REATMENT

Antibiotics are not recommended in most cases, because the disease is viral. Often cough suppressants are used, but they do not help much and can have unpleasant side effects. The most effective thing to do is to place the affected dog in a steam-filled room (such as a bathroom with a tub full of hot
water or after running a hot shower) or in a room with a cold-mist vaporizer. Veterinarians recognize this as a disease that just has to “run its course” (two or three weeks) before recovery. If possible, isolate your dog, since some of these viruses may also affect cats and people.

You can assist the healing process by putting your pet on a fast, giving vitamins, and using an herbal cough treatment.

A liquid fast can be useful when the symptoms first appear and should be continued for three days. Follow the directions for fasting in chapter 15, taking care to reintroduce solid foods carefully and slowly.

Vitamins help in several ways. Vitamin C is a good antiviral agent. Depending on the size of your dog, you can give 500 to 1,000 milligrams three times a day. Vitamin E stimulates the immune response. Give 50 to 100 IU of fresh d-alpha tocopherol from a capsule three times a day. Puncture the capsule and squeeze the oil right into the dog’s mouth. Taper off frequency at recovery. Vitamin A also boosts immunity, helps counteract stress, and strengthens the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Use ¼ to 1 teaspoon of fresh cod-liver oil three times a day (depending on the animal’s size) or give a 10,000 IU capsule of vitamin A once a day. Treat for a total of five days with vitamin A.

Herbal treatment can consist of an herbal cough syrup available at health food stores; adjust the recommended dose to your animal’s size. Such preparations typically contain several of the following: wild cherry bark, licorice, comfrey root, coltsfoot, mullein, slippery elm, and horehound.

Alternatively, you can make your own herbal treatments.

Herbal
—Peppermint (
Mentha piperita
): This is best suited for the dog with a hoarse “voice” and with coughing made worse by barking. Touching his throat is irritating and may bring on the cough. Use Herbal Schedule 1 (
view
),

Herbal
—Mullein (
Verbascum thapsus
): Especially indicated when the cough is deep and hoarse and worse at night. It’s also useful when the throat seems sore to the touch or there is trouble swallowing. Use Herbal Schedule 1 (
view
),